Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The American Republics, Volume VIII

811.504 Mexico/2–747

The Ambassador in Mexico (Thurston) to the Secretary of State

restricted
first priority
No. 2498

México, D. F., February 7, 1947.

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Embassy’s telegram No. 1147 of December 30, 1946, the Department’s telegram No. 73 of January 17, 1947, subsequent exchanges of messages⁴⁹ concerning the threat of the Mexican authorities to impede the return to this country of Mexican laborers found to be illegally in the United States and to the conversations between the representatives of the two governments conducted in Mexico City during the ten days ending February 4, 1947.⁵⁰

Participants in the conversations were as follows:

For the United States:

• Mr. William G. MacLean, Mexican Division, Department of State.
• Mr. Ugo Carusi, Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization, Department of Justice.
• Mr. Albert Del Guercio, Director of the Los Angeles District, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
• Mr. Maurice L. Stafford, First Secretary and Consul General, American Embassy, Mexico.
• Mr. Harry F. Brown, as observer for the Office of Labor, Department of Agriculture.

For Mexico:

• Señor Alfonso Guerra, Oficial Mayor of the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores.
• Licenciado Benito Coquet, Oficial Mayor of the Secretaría de Gobernación.
• Licenciado Jesús Castorena, Oficial Mayor of the Secretaría de Trabajo.
• Señor Arcadio Ojeda García, Jefe del Departamento de Migración, Secretaría de Gobernación.
• Arquitecto Jorge Medellín, Secretaría de Trabajo.
• Señor Manuel Aguilar, Jefe del Departamento de Asuntos Comerciales y del Servicio Consular, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores.

The interested officials in the Department were kept currently informed of the progress of the conference by Mr. MacLean and this despatch is prepared as a matter of record and to present certain phases which were brought out during the various sessions.

At the outset, the political implications of the Mexican proposals were evident and towards the close of the session, during the discussions of certain disputed points, this was disclosed by Mr. Guerra, the Oficial Mayor of the Foreign Office, and later confirmed by Dr. Manuel Tello, the Under-Secretary, in a conversation between him and Messrs. MacLean and Stafford.

Before the sessions commenced the Mexican delegation presented the following agenda for discussion:

1. Illegal status of Mexican workers in the United States, because of their entry without a previous contract.

2. Illegal status of workers employed in the United States, after expiration of their contracts.

3. Comparison between status of the workers employed in the United States, with that of those workers who initially entered without a contract.

4. Use of the Mexican workers in the United States in new employment.

5. Reports from the Mexican Consulates on the number of workers employed along the border areas, as well as on deportees.

It was evident also the Mexicans wished that any agreement which might result would involve commitments on the part of the Government of the United States in connection both with the work contracts between American employers or employers’ associations and the Mexican workmen, as well as with the enforcement of such contracts. They insisted virtually on a government-to-government agreement. This was successfully opposed by the American delegation in view of the instructions given to Mr. MacLean prior to his departure from the United States.

. . . . . . .

Villanueva Garza, while stationed at Mexicali, a post to which his acquaintances state he wishes to return, objected to the admission of the illegal entrants through the ports of the territory and for a time refused to receive any who were unable to prove at least six months’ previous residence in the territory. This for a time compelled the transportation of many at United States government expense to Nogales and El Paso.

The presence of Messrs. Carusi and Del Guercio and of Mr. Harry F. Brown, the latter as observer for the Office of Labor of the Department of Agriculture, was of great benefit and their knowledge of the laws and procedure governing the temporary admission of aliens was availed of.

The draft protocol in English and Spanish was finally signed after the departure of Messrs. Carusi and Del Guercio of the American delegation and of Mr. Coquet of the Mexican delegation. Their signatures will be obtained at a later date and when completed will be transmitted to Mr. MacLean who will attach the proper copies to the original of this despatch.

The protocol finally accepted and signed, and which is subject to approval by an exchange of notes,⁵¹ provides for the following:

(a) That a proposal be submitted to the Government of the United States for the return to Mexico of all Mexican laborers illegally in the United States, preferably via Mexicali, Ciudad Juárez, and Reynosa, with the view of making selections which may permit their legal return to employment in the United States under protection of contracts.

(b) Work contracts to be entered into by the laborers and the American employers or associations of employers after permission has been granted to the latter by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service; the contracts to be signed at stations to be established by the Mexican authorities at certain as yet not designated ports, and the signing to be witnessed by representatives of the Immigration Service and of the Mexican government.

(c) Both governments will continue their efforts to impede the illegal crossing of farm workers. The Mexicans agree to take steps to prevent the sale of railway and bus tickets to contingents of workers at strategic points, especially at Punta Peñasco, and to discourage the congregation of workers along the border.

(d) That the possibility of punishing the employers of illegal crossers will be made the subject of study, and that employers who hire illegal entrants be denied the right of contracting.

(e) That the employers pay the cost of transportation of contracted workers from the American border towns opposite the places of recruitment to the localities of their employment, and return.

(f) That as a special consideration to prospective employers in Texas and in recognition of the friendly attitude of the present governor and the efforts of the Texas Good Neighbor Commission, the right to contract Mexicans for ranch work in that state will be extended, with the understanding that such action is to be considered as temporary and as not to constitute a precedent.

(g) That the present practice of granting immigration visas to male members of the working class only to those bearing passports specifically approving their emigration, except those with close family ties in the United States, be continued.

Respectfully yours,

For the Ambassador:

M. L. Stafford

Consul General

49. None printed.
50. For a statement released to the press on February 6 on the United States-Mexican discussions, see Department of State Bulletin, February 16, 1947, p. 303.
51. In instruction 873, March 3, 1947, Ambassador Thurston was authorized to exchange notes with the Mexican Foreign Office to make effective the recommendations contained in the memoranda of conversations under consideration (811.504 Mexico/2–747). For the United States-Mexican exchange of notes signed at Mexico City on March 10, 1947, on the subject “Mexican Agricultural Workers: Legal Employment of Certain Workers Who Entered the United States Illegally”, see Department of State, Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS) No. 1857. For a supplementary but separate agreement of the same date providing that the March 10 agreement was applicable to the State of Texas, see TIAS No. 1858.